1,132 Bicycle Friendly Businesses in the US

The US Department of State and a two-person pipe organ repair company are among the 73 new and renewing Bicycle Friendly Businesses that the League of American Bicyclists has welcomed to the Bicycle Friendly America Program.

There are now 1,132 Bicycle Friendly Businesses (BFBs) in 49 US states and the District of Columbia.

Alta Planning + Design distinguished itself with eight offices around the country joining the BFB program this round. The company’s office in Portland, Oregon, renewed its Platinum status. According to Steve Durrant, Alta’s Vice President in Seattle, “When our employees bike, great things happen: Parents spend quality time with their kids on the bike commute; our commute takes the same time each day —congestion doesn’t matter; we’re each saving the equivalent of a small mortgage payment by riding every day; we spend time in rolling meetings and visiting project sites the way they will be used.”

While many businesses have made changes that make it easier for their employees to get to work by bike, and others use biking during the workday for business or pleasure, new Silver BFB Alcoa Davenport Works in Bettendorf, Indiana, adds a different approach.

“Employees with certain jobs (mechanics, electricians, etc.) are assigned a three-wheeled cargo bicycle to use inside of the plant. Every department has ones available for employees to use inside the plant. In total there are 600 cargo bicycles being used internally!” said a company spokesperson.

New Silver BFB, See Click Fix, in New Haven, Connecticut, has created an online tool that allows citizens to report non-emergency issues to their local government. They are ‘thrilled to see biking groups heavily promoting and using our app to communicate with town staff to report a number of types of street issues (especially potholes!)’

The company also provides indoor bike parking, a changing room, and bike repair supplies for its employees and supports local cycling events.

The League of American Bicyclists adds that Bicycle Friendly Businesses see a change not just in how their staff gets to work, but how they feel when they are there.

MTM, a new Gold BFB in Lake St Louis, Missouri, has found that ‘support of bicycling and physical activity at large has had a significant impact on the overall health and wellness of our staff. Additionally, this has resulted in improved productivity, decreased absenteeism, as well as increased staff retention, morale, and engagement.’

The Bicycle Friendly America program provides incentives, hands-on assistance and award recognition for communities, universities and businesses that actively support bicycling. It ranks states annually based on their level of bike-friendliness. These programs are supported by Trek Bicycle and Planet Bike.